• Priscilla Nason Shartle

hearthealthyboomer

~ Living healthy after age seventy.

hearthealthyboomer

Tag Archives: lose weight

Go Green!

17 Sunday May 2015

Posted by prisnasonshartle in Go Green!

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changes, chia and flax seeds, coconut milk, fruits, garden greens, green smoothies, investing in your health, kale, lose weight, vegetables, Vernon Dassler, whole foods diet

the-importance-of-green-drinksWhen I was a little girl my grandmother used to say, “Oh look Pris, it comes in green.”  Green was not her favorite color, but it was a close second to the color pink.  I used think that is why her daughter, my mother, pledged Delta Zeta as pink and green were its colors and so became my mother’s favorite colors.  And oddly enough, they are my favorite colors as well.  But when it came to green food growing up, they were on my “no way” list.  I did not like fruit or vegetables and was not afraid to say so.

Thank goodness I outgrew that stage of life and came to love all kinds of fruits and vegetables.  But drinking a green drink never crossed my mind until I started growing my own garden and investing in my health.  By taking into my own hands what foods I eat, I found that green smoothies heavy with garden greens, fresh (or frozen) fruits, coconut milk, chia and flax seeds make for a great snack or meal.

Many nutritionists encourage us to not ignore the importance of a daily green smoothie.  And with lots of varieties to choose from, one could never get bored.  I found a recipe the other day that was a mango-lime-banana-kale-coconut milk green smoothie at only 318 calories which is low for an entire meal.  I freeze my bananas and cut them up before putting in the blender to make for a cold smoothie.

Vernon Dassler, CN encourages us in his book, “Sick and Tire? Of Being Sick and Tired,” to make a change in our eating habits. He reminds us that only we have the power to make the changes.  “Each individual must make wise choices as to the method of instituting these changes. Some start with small steps in the plan but others may do better by making more radical changes all at once. Connect with the wiser part of yourself and consider which type of personality you are before jumping into any change,” writes Dassler.

Green smoothies are also ideal for weight-loss because they are an ideal fat burning food as well as nutrient-rich, loaded with fiber and low in fat. Of course one should avoid obvious things like dairy products, fats, sugars and artificial sweeteners, store-bought juices, canned foods and powders other than hemp or rice. According to Tracy Russell at Incredible Smoothies, “Green smoothies work best if they are part of a healthy, whole foods diet that helps you lose weight and maintain your ideal size and shape.”

Next time I’m in my backyard, I’ll pick some kale and dandelion greens and make me a smoothie and can say, “Oh look, it comes in green!”

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My New Year Fitness Plan – Life

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by prisnasonshartle in A New Year Plan

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Ankh Egyptian cross, class reunion, counted calories, Ernest Holmes, eternal life, lose weight, MyFitnessPal, setting goals, smartphone, Weight Watchers

Last year about this time I started a new Weight Watchers program.  After five or six months I quit.  Believe it or not, that is not easy to say.  I liked the program, but I didn’t see any results.  I didn’t gain any weight, but I didn’t lose any either.  And I did follow the regime right down to counting housework and gardening when it came to exercise.  But some of you may remember that I was only a few pounds short of my maintenance weight and so it looked to some that I might not belong in a Weight Watchers class.

Not only did I get questionable looks, I got remarks that were just short of unkind, and I also felt like the instructor was not up to standard.  She was kind, nice, and for all practical purposes met the needs of most of the folks in the class.  But she came ill-prepared, started the class late, and rushed through the three classes that were required for beginners.  (I forgot what they were called.)  I learned more from the website and reading the material on my own.  And most importantly, I repeat, I did not lose weight.

What happened is not pretty.  Since then I gained at least seven pounds.  The good news is I can still fit into most of my clothes but holding my breath to zip a pair of jeans is not what I call a fun time.  Therefore, I’m back where I started a year ago: needing to lose weight.  This time, I’m going to start where I did in 2009 when I lost 20 pounds in nine months.  I counted calories.

I have this neat app on my smartphone that is called MyFitnessPal.  Unlike the Weight Watchers app, I have not figured out how to add calories not in their data bank, but so far it is working well.  I know I need to eat 1200 or less calories a day and that is my goal.  I also know that I have to avoid sweets and chips, both hard to do in my case.  A couple of small glasses of red wine in the evening will do no harm, as long as I count the calories.

You may wonder what prompted this next phase of weight loss.  Maybe the “mother-of-the-groom” dress I need to wear in April or my high school class reunion in May or a beach trip with the grandchildren in June?  Who knows?  More than likely it was a gut feeling that my body is not right when I’m over weight.  Ernest Holmes wrote, “Learn to trust life…and prepare not to die, but to live.”  For me that means I need to stop doing things (like eating the wrong foods) that harm me and begin eating healthy foods that help me to live.

I inherited an Ankh Egyptian cross from my mother when she passed away.  Ankh Egyptian CrossIt is heavy and large but she wore it with pride, hanging around her neck as she dressed in beautiful turtleneck sweaters.  Known as the key of life, it represents the concept of eternal life.  I like to take the cross out from time to time and remark on its beauty and remind myself of its symbolism.  And although my mother is no longer with me, she lives eternally in my heart, young and healthy.

My body may ebb and flow, like the seasons, but I rejoice as I am reminded that I have the power to appreciate the path I am on; a path of endless self-expression and it is all Good.  This gift of life flows through me and I am blessed.

Happy New Year….Cheers to trusting life…., and Let the calorie counting begin!

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